Toothbrush



March a, 1934. M D 1,950,300

TOOTHBRUSH Filed June 16, 1933 @atented Mar. 6, 1934 barren STATES PATENT GFFICE Claims.

ful improvements in tooth brushes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a tooth brush with an attachment in 5 the form of an auxiliary brush element attached to the tooth brush in a manner to present the bristles of the tooth brush and auxiliary brush element in opposition to each other for simultaneously cleaning the labial and lingual side piece and the areas between the teeth.

The auxiliary brush attachment for the tooth brush is capable of reversible mounting upon the tooth brush so that the same may be projected from either side of the tooth brush for use by either hand.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of 20 parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the tooth brush equipped with the auxiliary brush attachment showing the bristles of the two brush elements in opposed relation;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the assembled tooth brush and attachment;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View;

Figure 4 is an outer end elevational View;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the auxiliary attachment separated from the tooth brush; and

Figure 6 is a detail sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1, showing the resilient strap arm connection between the tooth brush and auxiliary brush attachment.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, the tooth brush is illustrated as comprising a handle 10 having a brush backing 11 with brush bristles 12 projecting from the backing. The upper face of the backing 11 is provided with an upstanding transversely extending boss 13 intermediate its ends and said boss 13 as shown in Figure 6 is provided with a transversely extending slotted opening 14 having side walls 15. The slotted opening 14 extends completely through the boss 13 as shown in Figure 6.

The auxiliary brush attachment comprises a brush backing 16 illustrated as being of arcuate form but which may assume any configuration desired has bristles 16a projecting from its face and the auxiliary brush backing 16 intermediate its ends and at one ide thereof carries a right angularly directed arm 17, the outer end of which is bent at right angles as at 18 to overlie the This invention relates to certain new and use backing 16. The extension 18 is bifurcated to provide a pair of resilient arms 19 of a normal extreme diameter approximating the breadth of the slotted opening'l i, the resilient arms 19 being receivable in said slotted opening. As shown 69 in Figure 6, the side walls 15 of the slotted opening 14 are each provided with an intermediate lug projection 20 and the outer sides of the resilient arms 19 are notched as at 21 to take the lug projections for detachably retaining the auxiliary brush attachment in assembled relation to the tooth brush.

The auxiliary attachment may be engaged with the backing 11 of the tooth brush from either side thereof so that the brush may be used by 70 either the right or left hand of a person and when the brush elements are in assembled relation, the bristle sections 12 and 16a thereof face or oppose each other for simultaneously brushing the inner and outer surfaces of teeth. The auxiliary brush attachment is readily disengageable from the main tooth brush, but is effectively retained in operative position by means of the resilient arms 19 of the attachment having the interlocking connection with lug projections 20 upon the walls of the slotted opening 14. Also, the lug projections 20 and recesses 21 are so related with respect to the resilient arms and walls 15 that the free ends of the tensioned arms 19 lie within the slotted opening 14 when the auxiliary brush attachment is engaged with the tooth brush as shown in Figure 6.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a tooth brush having a backing and bristles projecting from the backing, and an auxiliary brush attachment for the backing at either side thereof with the bristles of the backing and attachment in opposed relation, the engagement between the backing and attachment including a slotted boss on the backing and resilient arms carried by the attachment to be received in the boss slot.

2. In a device of the character described, a tooth brush having a backing and bristles projecting from the backing, and an auxiliary brush attachment for the backing at either side thereof with the bristles of the backing and attachment in opposed relation, the engagement between the backing and attachment including a slotted boss on the backing and resilient arms 110 carried by the attachment to be received in the boss slot, and an interlocking connection between the resilient arms and walls of the slot.

3. In a device of the character described, a tooth brush having a backing and bristles projecting from the backing, an auxiliary brush attachment for the backing at either side thereof with the bristles of the backing and attachment in opposed relation, the engagement between the backing and attachment including a slotted boss on the backing and resilient arms carried by the attachment to be received in the boss slot, and an interlocking connection between the re"- silient arms and walls of the slot, includingmating lug projections and recesses.

4. In a device of the character described, a tooth brush having a backing and bristles projecting from the backing, and an auxiliary brush attachment for the backing at either side thereof with the bristles of the backing and attachment in opposed relation, the engagement between the backing and attachment including a slotted boss on the backing and resilient arms carried by the attachment to be received in the boss slot, the boss slot extending completely therethrough and transversely of the brush backing and said arms being receivable in either end of the slot with the terminal ends thereof confined within the slot when the attachment is operatively engaged with the backing.

5. In a device of the character described, a tooth brush having a backing and bristles projecting from the backing, and an auxiliary brush attachment for the backing at either side thereof with the bristles of the backing and attachment in opposed relation, the engagement between the backing and attachment including a slotted boss on the backing and resilient arms carried by the attachment to be received in the boss slot, and an interlocking connection between the resilient arms and walls of the slot, the boss slot extending completely therethrough and trans-' versely of the brush backing and said arms being receivable in either end of the slot with the terminal ends thereof confined within the slot when the attachment is operatively engaged with the backing.

JOSEPH HAD. 

